Induction circulators having rotating nozzles



March 1, 1966 B. o. G. HUGOSON INDUCTION CIRCULATORS HAVING ROTATING NOZZLES Original Filed April 19, 1962 FIG. 6 BIRGER 0.6. HUQ Q Q O N Bymwxm United States Patent 3,237,686 INDUCTION CIRCULATORS HAVING ROTATING NOZZLES Birger O. G. Hugoson, Wellsville, N.Y., assignor to Worthington Corporation, Harrison, N.J., a corporation of Delaware Continuation of application Ser. No. 188,683, Apr. 19, 1962. This application Dec. 22, 1964, Ser. No. 423,632 Claims. (Cl. 165123) This is a continuation of application number 188,683 filed on April 19, 1962 now abandoned. The invention relates to induction circulators used in terminal units of a positive pressure multi-room air conditioning system and more particularly to induction circulators having rotating nozzles.

Many induction ciroulators have no moving parts. The nozzles are stationary and circulation and mixing of the primary and secondary air is derived solely from the high velocity, primary air. The degree of mixture is thus limited. It can be vastly improved by incorporating moving parts to mix the two bodies of air. Attempts have been made to provide induction oirculators which do have moving parts. These employ a fan driven by an electric motor to increase the degree of mixing of primary and secondary air. They have the disadvantage of requiring a fan and a motor, both of which require periodic maintenance and repair. The motor of course, is powered by electricity, the use of which increases the cost of the operation of the air conditioning unit and also increases the noise level of the unit.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and to improve the overall efficiency of induction circulators by the use of the novel induction circulator of the present invention which contains movingparts but which requires no additional outside energy, as from an electrical motor, to power them. Instead, it is an object of this invention to utilize the kinetic energy of the primary air to rotate the moving parts; and more particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide a plurality of rotating nozzles which are powered solely by the reactive force of the primary air to provide a greater degree of mixture of the primary and secondary air and to design the nozzles blade-like in appearance so that they will provide an even greater degree of mixture of the primary and secondary air.

Other objects of this invention are to provide an inductioncirculator which will operate efficiently and quietly while maintaining basic simplicity in design, to provide an induction circulator which will be subject to a minimum of wear and maintenance, to provide at least one mixing chamber which is disposed about the rotating nozzles, and to provide a plenum having an outboard inclined wall to guide the secondary air into the mixing chamber.

With these and other objects in view as may appear from the accompanying specification the invention consists of various features of construction and combination of parts-which will be first described in connection with the accompanying drawings which show the preferred form of the induction circulator. The novel features forming the invention will be particularlypointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a terminal unit in which the novel induction circulator is embodied.

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the terminal unit of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an end view broken away of the terminal unit embodying the novel induction circulator.

FIGURE 4 is a partly broken away view of the induction circulator.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical section of the rotor shown in FIGURES 3 and 4.

FIGURE 6- is a top view of the rotor shown in FIG- URE 5.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURES 1 and 2 show the preferred form of the terminal unit designated as 16. The casing 18 has a conduit 20 connected thereto which delivers primary air under pressure into plenum 30. The primary air may be conveniently supplied from a centrally located multi-room air conditioning system (not shown). Plenum 30 as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, is disposed along the. bottom of the casing 18 and has an inclined outboard wall 44. "Inclined wall 44 allows for maximum induction of secondary air as will be explained in the operation of the unit and also serves to guide the secondary air into the mixing chambers 40. Mixing chambers 40 will be described hereinafter.

Extending from wall 44 of the top of plenum 30 are a plurality of cylindrical conduits 32. Conduits 32 each have a connecting element 46 thereon which has an annular flange 48 at its end remote from the plenum, the inner diameter of which, has a recess 50. Connecting element 48 also has a central hub 52 held in position by spokes 54.

A dome shaped rotor 41 is disposed in recess 58 of flange 48 of each connecting element 46, but is in non contact relation therewith. A thrust pin 56 has one end fixedly connected to hub 52 and extends upwardly therefrom and through rotor 41 which is loosely connected thereto between fixed washer 60' and bearing washer 62. Bearing washer 62 is held in place by pin 64, and is spaced from washer 60 so as to permit a very limited vertical movement of rotor 41 along thrust pin 56.

A plurality of nozzles 42 are formed on each rotor 41. These nozzles extend radially outward from the rotor so as to form blade-like structures and each have a narrow, elongated opening 43 thereon. The nozzle is so oriented that its opening 43 points in a'direction whereby the primary air will leave the nozzle in a direction substantially tangential with respect to the circle upon which the nozzle is oriented.

Surrounding each rotor and connected to the top 0*. casing 18 is a bafile 39 which is generally cylindrical and which extends downwardly in spaced relationship from the respective rotor. These 'bafiies form mixing chambers 40, between the rotors and the baffles.

Openings 38 in the top of casing 18 adjoin the top of bafiles 3-9 and allow the mixture of primary and secondary air to be discharged to the area to be conditioned.

Disposed in the casing 18 and extending along the length thereof parallel to plenum 30 and spaced therefrom is heat exchanger 34 which may be of the plate fin type and which may have hot or cold media passing therethrough, depending on whether hot or cold conditioning is desired. The heat exchange media enters heat exchanger 34 through inlet tube 22 and leaves it through outlet 14. Openings 36 in the front of casing 18 adjacent heat exchanger 34 permits the induction of secondary air into the casing.

The operation of the terminal unit 16 is as follows. Primary air, having a positive pressure is introduced through the conduit 20 into the plenum 30. The inclined wall 44 of plenum 30 increases the area below the mixing chamber 40 and thus allows maximum induction of the secondary air. The inclined wall also serves to guide the secondary air below baffle 39 into mixing chamber 40. The primary air passes through conduit 32 to rotor 41 and therefrom through nozzles 42 and out openings 43. The primary air flowing through the openings 43 creates a low pressure area in the casing 18 which induces secondary air to flow into the casing through openings 36. The secondary air then flows over the heat exchanger 34-and following the path indicated by arrows in FIGURE 3, flows into mixing chamber 4!). Since primary air exits from the openings in a direction substantially tangential, withrespect. to the circle upon which the nozzle is oriented, the reactive force creates a torque which causes the rotation of rotor 41. This rotation causes a greater degree of mixing of the primary air and the secondary air within mixing chamber 40 before the mixture is discharged through openings 38 into the area to be conditioned. The nozzles act as blades and further increase the degree of mixing of the two bodies of air before they are discharged from mixing chamber 40 through opening 38 into the area to be conditioned. The rotation of nozzle 42 also increase theamount of induction of secondary air. The pressure of the primary air acting on the inner surfaces of rotor 41, before passing through nozzle openings 43, being greater than the ambient air pressure acting on the outer surfaces of the rotor produces a resultant upward force which lifts rotor 41 so thatthe only hearing point and thus the only point which is susceptible to wear is at the .bearing washer 62.

It will be understood that various:changes in the details, materials, size andnumber of the induction circulators which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the. invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope. of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A terminal unit for a positive pressure multi-room air conditioning system comprising:

(a) a casing having inlet and outlet means,

(b) a plenum located within said casing and connected to a supply of primary air,

(c) conduit means leading from the plenum and oonnected at one end thereto,

(d) discharge means mounted on the conduit means,

the discharge means including a rotor,

(e) baflle means surrounding each rotor and spaced therefrom to form a mixing chamber between the bafile means and the rotor,

(f) a heat exchange member placed in the casing,

(g) a plurality of nozzles on the rotor, the nozzles discharging primary air from the plenum into the mixing chamber whereby the primary air creates a' low pressure area which induces secondary air in the room to be conditioned to flow into the casing through said inlet means, over the heat exchange member and into the mixing chamber,

(h) the rotorbeing adapted to rotate upon discharge of primary air from said nozzles, the rotation causing a greater degree of mixing of the secondary air with the primary air in the mixing chamber before the mixture is discharged into the area to be conditioned.

2. The combination in claim 1 wherein the rotor has a plurality of nozzles thereon, the nozzles being so oriented that their openings point in a direction whereby the primary air leaves the nozzle substantially tangential with respect to the circle upon which the nozzle is oriented.

3. The combination claimed in claim 2 wherein the mixing chamber is formed by bafile means disposed in the casing in spaced relation about the nozzles.

4. The combination claimed in claim 3 wherein the plenum has an inclined wall which permits maximum induction of secondary air and which serves to guide the secondary air into the mixing chamber.

5. The combination claimed in claim 4 wherein the casing has a plurality of top openings, the bafiie means disposed about said top openings and extending. downwardly therefrom and terminating above the uppermost point of theinclined wallaof said plenum.

6. The combination claimed in claim 5 wherein connecting means connecting the plenum and the rotor includesa thrust pin, the thrust pin adapted to have the upper end of the rotor bear thereon during rotation of the rotor, and the rotor being lifted by the force of the primary air before passing through said nozzles.

7. A terminal unit for a positive pressure multi-room air conditioning. system comprising:

(a) a casing having inlet and outlet means,

(b) a plenum located within said casing and connected to a supply of primary air,

(0) conduit means leading from the plenum and connected at one end thereto,

(cl) discharge means mounted on the conduit means,

the discharge. means including a rotor,

(e) bafiie means surrounding each rotor and spaced therefrom to'form a mixing chamber between the bafile means and the rotor,

(f) .a heat exchange member placed in the casing,

(g) a plurality of nozzles on the rotor, the nozzles discharging primary air from the plenum into the mixing chamber whereby the primary air creates a lowpressure area which induces secondary air in the room to be conditioned to flow into the casing through said inlet means over the heat exchange member and into the mixing chamber,

(h) the rotor being adapted to rotate upon discharge of primary air from said nozzles, the rotation causing a greater degree of mixing of the secondary air with the primary air in the mixing chamber before the mixture is discharged into the area to be conditioned,

(i) and the nozzles extending radially outward from the rotor so as to act as blades which, when rotating, further aid the mixing of the secondary air and primary air as well as increase the amount of induction of the secondary air.

8. A terminal unit for a positive pressure multi-room air conditioning system comprising,

(a) a casing forming a. chamber for secondary air,

(b) said casing having an inlet to pass secondary air from a room to be conditioned into said chamber,

(c) heat exchange means disposedin said casing relative the inlet and the chamber to permit secondary air to flow thereover and adapted for the passage of a heat exchange medium therein to regulate the sensisible temperature of the secondary air flowing thereover,

(d) a plenum located in the casing at one end of the chamber and connected to a supply of conditioned primary air,

(e) a discharge outlet at the end of said chamber remote from the plenum,

(f) a baffie means in said casing operatively connected about the discharge outlet to form a mixing chamber for conditioned primary air and secondary air and for discharging the same through the discharge outlet,

(g) a conduit means for the baffle means connected to one end to said plenum and extending into the mixing chamber formed by the bafiie means,

(h) the bafiie means about the conduit and forming an annular inlet disposed to receive secondary air from the chamber,

(i) a rotor in the mixing chamber rotatably mounted on the end of the conduit means therein,

(j) nozzle means on the rotor forming a discharge means for conditioned primary air from the plenum whereby flow of primary air will cause rotation of the rotor and the rotation of the rotor and discharge of primary air will induce flow of secondary air into the mixing chamber, a mixing of secondary air and primary air and the discharge of the mixed primary and secondary air from the discharge outlet.

9. The combination in claim 8 wherein the; rotor has a plurality of nozzles thereon, the nozzles being so oriented that their openings point in a direction whereby the primary air leaves the nozzles substantially tangential with respect to the circle upon which the nozzle is oriented.

10. The combination claimed in claim 9 wherein the plenum has an inclined wall which permits maximum induction of secondary air and which serves to guide the secondary air into the mixing chamber.

11. The combination claimed in claim 10 wherein the casing has a plurality of top openings, the baffle means disposed about said top openings and extending downwardly therefrom and terminating above the uppermost point of the inclined wall of said plenum.

12. The combination claimed in claim 11 wherein connecting means connecting the plenum and the rotor includes a thrust pin, the thrust pin adapted to have the upper end of the rotor bear thereon during rotation of the rotor, and the rotor being lifted by the force of the primary air before passing through said nozzles.

13. The combination claimed in claim 7 wherein the nozzles are of blade-like form extending radially outward from the rotor and are disposed to present the fiat portion of the blade at an angle to the relative air flow when rotating, to further aid the mixing of the secondary air and the primary air, as well as increase the amount of induction of the secondary air.

14. The combination claimed in claim 1 wherein:

(a) a plurality of conduit means extend from the plenum and are connected at one end thereto,

(b) a discharge means is mounted on each conduit means, each discharge means including a rotor,

(c) a bafile means surrounds each rotor and is spaced therefrom to form a mixing chamber between each rotor and its bafile means.

15. The combination as claimed in claim 11 wherein:

(a) a plurality of baffle means are operatively connected about said top openings and extend downwardly therefrom terminating above the uppermost point of the inclined wall of the plenum to form a mixing chamber for conditioned primary air and sec ondary air,

(b) a conduit means for each baflie means is connected at one end to the plenum and extends into the mixing chamber formed by the bafile means,

(0) each of the bafiie means about its respective conduit means for-ms an annular inlet disposed to receive the secondary air from the chamber,

(d) a rotor in each mixing chamber is rotatably mounted on the end of the conduit means therein,

(e) a plurality of nozzle means on each rotor form a discharge means for conditioned air from the plenum, whereby the flow of primary air from the nozzles will cause rotation of each rotor, the rotation of the rotors and the discharge of the primary air will induce a flow of secondary air into the mixing chambers the mixing of secondary air and primary air and the discharge of the mixed primary and secondary air from the top openings.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,239,229 9/1917 Shaw 239252 2,122,168 6/1938 Woolley 123 2,531,923 11/1950 Smith 239--261 2,773,678 12/1956 Simmons 165123 X 3,012,759 12/1961 Klarer 165-123 X 3,012,760 12/1961 McGrath 165-123 3,018,088 1/1962 Allander et a1. 165123 3,092,178 6/1963 Birdsall 98-38 X FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Primary Examiner.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Examiner.

T. W. STREULE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TERMINAL UNIT FOR A POSITIVE PRESSURE MULTI-ROOM AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM COMPRISING: (A) A CASING HAVING INLET AND OUTLET MEANS, (B) A PLENUM LOCATED WITHIN SAID CASING AND CONNECTED TO A SUPPLY OF PRIMARY AIR, (C) CONDUIT MEANS LEADING FROM THE PLENUM AND CONNECTED AT ONE END THERETO, (D) DISCHARGE MEANS MOUNTED ON THE CONDUIT MEANS, THE DISCHARGE MEANS INCLUDING A ROTOR, (E) BAFFLE MEANS SURROUNDING EACH ROTOR AND SPACED THEREFROM TO FORM A MIXING CHAMBER BETWEEN THE BAFFLE MEANS AND THE ROTOR, (F) A HEAT EXCHANGE MEMBER PLACED IN THE CASING, (G) A PLURALITY OF NOZZLES ON THE ROTOR, THE NOZZLES DISCHARGING PRIMARY AIR FROM THE PLENUM INTO THE MIXING CHAMBER WHEREBY THE PRIMARY AIR CREATES A LOW PRESSURE AREA WHICH INDUCES SECONDARY AIR IN THE ROOM TO BE CONDITIONED TO FLOW INTO THE CASING THROUGH SAID INLET MEANS, OVER THE HEAT EXCHANGE MEMBER AND INLET MEANS, OVER THE HEAT EX(H) THE ROTOR BEING ADAPTED TO ROTATE UPON DISCHARGE OF PRIMARY AIR FROM SAID NOZZLES, THE ROTATION CAUSING A GREATER DEGREE OF MIXING OF THE SECONDARY AIR WITH THE PRIMARY AIR IN THE MIXING CHAMBER BEFORE THE MIXTURE IS DISCHARGED INTO THE AREA TO BE CONDITIONED. 